Toxic
by Silwyna
Summary: Dirk Pitt gets threatened by a rich business man. Can he just ignore it now that he has a family to care for? Sorry, I'm not good in summaries
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I own nothing related to the Dirk Pitt characters created by Clive Cussler. The characters do not belong to me. I make no profit from this story._

**Toxic**

**By Silwyna**

Smiling Summer listened to her brother over the radio. He was testing the new one-man-submarine Al Giordino had invented and it was evident that he was enjoying every second of it.

"Whoohoo, this is great!" Dirk Pitt jr. laughed in his radio. He had just dived into a deep canyon and the submarine didn't seem to have any problems with the pressure compensation. He had never dived so deep on his own. It was amazing to be in such depths all alone and he could have stayed down here forever. But he knew that he would have to resurface as he would run out of oxygen soon.

"You only have 10 minutes oxygen left, Dirk. It's time to get back." Summer reminded him. She envied her twin brother for this chance. They had both argued who would get the first ride in this submarine and in the end Dirk had won.

"I'm coming back up." Dirk told her and on the radar in front of her she could see the submarine going higher up until it reached the surface. She went outside the cabin to greet her brother and help him back onto the ship. Al Giordino, her father's best friend and like an uncle for herself and her brother, already waited to hear directly from Dirk what he thought about his latest invention.

"Al, this is awesome. You excelled yourself. If possible, I would go down there right again." Dirk said excitedly.

"Next one to test this thing is me." Summer laughed as she stepped closer. She held her hand out for Dirk to help him come onboard.

"Right. You're gonna love it, Summer, believe me. We can go so much deeper in this and we'll be able to get into almost any cave because of the small size and ..."

"You don't have to sell it to me, Dirk, I already believe this submarine is worth every cent NUMA spend for it." Summer interrupted her brother laughing. She loved how excited he could get about these things.

As soon as the submarine was back on board the Sea Spirit, one of NUMA's exploring ships, Giordino began to check it thoroughly while Summer and Dirk went down in the cabin. Dirk wanted to change out of his diving suit and Summer was going to prepare him something to eat. They were both always hungry after a dive and the other always took care that there was something to eat ready afterwards when they didn't dive together.

"Smells great." Dirk said smiling as he stepped out of the small bedroom. He was now wearing a white shirt and blue shorts instead of his diving suit. "Did Al say when we can get down with it again?"

"He said that _I_ could go down with it in a few hours. Why don't you join me in your diving suit? We could compare who's collecting more data." Dirk and Summer loved to play those little competition games. They didn't care that this wasn't really a competition as it was out of question who would collect more data this time – the submarine could dive much deeper than a diver in a normal diving suit could go. But in the end it never really mattered who won, they just loved the banter while doing it.

"Good idea." Dirk replied smiling. Then he took a seat at the small table in the corner and began eating. "Smells great, tastes even better. Good luck you just had to put this in the microwave."

"Ha ha." Unfortunately Summer had to admit that Dirk really was the better cook of them. She couldn't even make a toast without burning it. Dirk had taught himself to cook at a very young age. Often their mother was being depressed and wouldn't leave her bedroom for days. The young siblings had to take care of themselves at those times. While Summer took care of keeping the house clean, Dirk had took control over the kitchen and cooked the meals. They weren't really very tasteful in the beginning, but he got better over the years. Now he could make a 4 star menu without much effort. Summer loved to invite herself into Dirk's apartment simply to enjoy his cooking.

XXXXXXX

While his children and his best friend enjoyed themselves on the Sea Spirit in the Caribbean Sea, Dirk Pitt sen. waited impatiently in the states attorney office in Washington, D.C.. He was supposed to get over his testimony against Thomas Hatch, a rich business man, who had tried to make more profit by getting rid of his toxic waste by throwing it into the next river. That river had brought the toxic waste out into the open sear, where it had almost destroyed a beautiful nature reserve. Pitt would testify against Hatch next week and the states attorney wanted to make sure that his testimony would put Hatch and his men behind bars for a very long time.

"Good Morning, Mr. Pitt. I'm sorry you had to wait. I was hold up." States Attorney Gordon Mitchell said when he stepped into his office.

"No problem. But I hope we can get this over with fast. I'd like to get back to work as quickly as possible." Pitt wanted to see and test Al's new invention as much as his children and was anxious to get back to the Sea Spirit.

"I won't keep you long. So you won't stay in Washington until the court?" Mitchell asked.

"No, I'll leave right after this meeting. But don't worry. I'll be back in time for the court. There's no need to stay in town for all this time, is there?"

"No, not at all. In fact, I think it's a good idea to leave town. Some of our witnesses have received threats not to testify next week. I already lost two witnesses." Mitchell told him quietly.

"I received such a threat via email myself. But don't worry, threats like that don't scare me. There is nothing Hatch can do to stop me." Pitt replied determinedly.

"I'm glad to hear that." Mitchell said smiling. "Okay, let's go over your testimony."

XXXXXXX

"This is so great." Dirk could hear his sister over the radio. As they had agreed to earlier, she had taken the submarine while he accompanied her in his normal diving suit. He could see the sub a few meters away. He actually had to force himself to concentrate on collecting any data, as watching the sub was almost as much fun as using it.

He had been under water for about 15 minutes, when his vision started to blur slightly. He shook his head to clear his mind, but it only got worse. He suddenly felt light-headed and had trouble breathing. "Summer." He tried to call for his sister, but it only came out barely above a whisper.

"Dirk, you should see this. We would never have been able to collect so much data so fast without this sub." Summer called excitedly over the radio. She hadn't heard her brother.

Desperately Dirk tried to swim to the surface, but his world begun to spin around him and he didn't know anymore which direction he had to take. "Summer, help me." He managed to press out before his world turned black.

"Dirk, what did you say? I didn't understand you." Summer had finally heard her brother, but he had been too quiet for her to understand. "Dirk?"

When she didn't get a respond from him, she got worried immediately. She looked around the water for her brother. When she couldn't see him anywhere, she turned the sub around and finally saw his figure a few meters away. He wasn't moving. "Dirk?" She called again, fear creeping in her voice. "This is not funny, answer me!"

As fast as she could she moved closer to his position until she could clearly see that he must have lost conscious. "Damn! Sea Spirit, this is Sub 1. Dirk is heaving trouble. I'm leaving the sub and getting him back up."

Without waiting for a response, she grabbed the small oxygen cylinder under her seat and slid through the emergency exit. She had powered down all systems and hoped the submarine wouldn't take any damage, as it was uncontrolled under water, but she didn't waste much thought to that as her brother was all she worried about right now.

She was at his side quickly and grabbed him under his arms to pull him to the surface. It seemed like an eternity until they were finally above water. "Help me!" She called.

Al had already been waiting anxiously for any sign of the twins to resurface. "What happened?" He asked as he helped Summer to get Dirk back on board.

"I don't know. He suddenly wasn't responding anymore and I found him unconscious. I don't know what happened." Summer could feel the tears well up in her eyes as she watched Al removing her brother's diving mask and searching for a pulse.

"Damn!" Al yelled frustrated. "Where's the med team? And call a helicopter! We need to get him into hospital." He had neither found a pulse nor was Dirk breathing anymore. He quickly began with CPR.

Terrified Summer watched how Al tried to resuscitate her brother. She had never felt more helpless in her live. Finally she saw Dirk coughing and he took some breaths of his own. As his breathing was still irregular though, the medics, who had finally arrived, decided it was best to put him on a respirator. This way they could control his breathing and make sure he'd get enough oxygen.

"Where is that damn helicopter?" Al yelled frustrated. He would never admit it to anyone, but seeing Dirk's almost lifeless and pale body lying on the ground scared the death out of him. As there wasn't anything he could do for him anymore, he put his arm around Summer's shoulder and tried to give her some comfort.

Tbc

**A.N.: This is my first Dirk Pitt fanfic. I have only read one book of him so far. I hope I stayed in character with all the persons. I also don't know much about diving or medicine and english isn't my first language, so I apologize for all the mistakes I surely made in this chapter and will still make in the next ones. I hope you enjoyed this chapter nevertheless. If so, let me know. :-) Constructive criticism is also always welcome. **


	2. Chapter 2

For two hours Summer had sat next to her brother's bed in hospital, holding his hand tightly and waiting anxiously for any sign that he would wake up. He hadn't regained consciousness yet and his condition was still critical. He was still intubated and a respirator helped him breathing. He was also hooked to several monitors standing next to his bed and had an IV in his arm.

"His blood work finally came back." Dr. Michael Norton said quietly as he stepped into the room.

Without letting go of her brother's hand, Summer turned around to him. "What's wrong with him?" She asked while she watched him injecting something to the IV.

"He was poisoned. He probably inhaled it through his oxygen cylinder. You should get his equipment checked out." He paused a second. "This poison attacked his lungs, that's why he has trouble breathing. Fortunately we could identify the poison and have the antidote available. He should be back on his feet in a few days."

"Should be?" Summer asked afraid. She had hoped for a more direct answer. She wanted the doctor to tell her that her brother would wake up for one hundred percent sure and that he would be okay again.

"There is always the risk of side effects. It's too early to tell. But if he wakes up within the next 24 hours, he will be all right." Dr. Norton tried to calm her.

"24 hours ..." Summer whispered in a shaky voice. She had turned back to her brother and as there was nothing more for him to do here, Dr. Norton left the room.

XXXXXXX

For what seemed like the hundredth time, Al Giordino tried to reach his friend. He had no idea how he was supposed to tell him that his son, who he had promised to watch over while Pitt was in Washington, had been poisoned and was lying in a hospital right now, fighting for his life.

"Hey Al, what's up?" Dirk Pitt sen. had finally picked up his phone.

"Damn it, Dirk, where have you been?" Al barked. He was still searching for the right words to break these news to his friend.

"The meeting with the States Attorney took forever. I left my mobile in the car. What's wrong?" Pitt had heard the anxiety in Al's voice and he knew something had happened. Al Giordino didn't lose his calm easily and he didn't sound very calm right now. It had to be something bad.

"Dirk ... he's in hospital. He was poisoned." Al was waiting for a response. When he didn't hear anything, he asked quietly. "Hey Pitt, you're still there?"

"Yeah ... what ... how is he?"

"They gave him the antidote, but his condition is still critical. We have to wait the next 24 hours. How fast can you get here?"

"I take the next plane. Which hospital is he in?"

After Al had given him the address, Pitt ended the conversation, but not before he reminded his friend to call him should there be any change in his son's condition – either good or bad. The he rushed to the nearest airport.

XXXXXXX

A few hours later Pitt finally arrived at the hospital. When he stepped into his son's hospital room, he was shocked at Dirk's pale appearance. He swallowed before he turned to his daughter. "Summer ..."

At hearing her father's voice, Summer turned around quickly and seeing him finally standing right next to her, she threw herself into his arms. "Oh Dad ..." She choked between sobs. She had promised herself not to cry, but feeling her father's strong arms holding her tightly broke every dam inside her and the tears began rolling down her face.

"It's okay. He will be all right, I know he will." Pitt tried to comfort his daughter. He wished he could believe his own words, but seeing his son like this, he wasn't sure if he would pull through this.

"I didn't see him, Dad. I ... When I noticed that something was wrong, it was already too late. Had I only ..."

"This is not your fault, Summer. Don't do this to yourself. There was nothing you could have done." Pitt knew exactly who to blame for his son's condition. Hatch didn't want him to testify and this was his way to prove that he had meant his threat. But Pitt wasn't going to give in to those threats. He would testify and should his son didn't survive, there would be no place for Hatch to be safe – not even in prison.

XXXXXXX

Another 10 hours passed until Dirk showed the first signs of waking up. Summer had been close to losing hope to ever see her brother awake again, when she noticed a small movement of his hand. When she looked up, she could see that Dirk's breathing had become more heavily. He seemed to be fighting the respirator that was helping him breathing.

"Dirk? Dirk relax, everything's okay. You're on a respirator. Just let it breath for you. You hear me? Let the machines do the breathing." She tried to calm her brother.

Slowly the darkness around Dirk seemed to disappear. He could feel someone holding his hand. He tried to squeeze it, but it took too much of his strength and all he managed was a slight twitch. Then he noticed that he was breathing again. It took him a while to realize that air was coming into his lungs, but without him doing anything. He tried to get some breaths of his own, but no extra air came into his lungs. He started to get scared. How could he be breathing when he couldn't inhale air?

It took most of his strength but he eventually managed to open his eyes. He looked around in panic. He felt like he would suffocate any second. Then he saw his sister sitting next to him. She was talking to him. It took him a while but he finally understood what she was telling him and he began to relax and let the machines breath for him. He didn't take his eyes from Summer, as if seeing her was giving him the strength and the trust to pull through this. Whatever this was.

XXXXXXX

Relieved Pitt watched how his son opened his eyes and relax at hearing his sister's soothing words. He was amazed by the bond that was connecting his two children. He had known from the beginning that they were close, but this was a lot more. For the first time he realized what it meant to have a family. This feeling and the knowledge that his son would live almost overwhelmed him and he had to use all his willpower to hide the trembling when he took Dirk's other hand and squeezed it slightly.

When Dirk noticed someone else holding his hand, he slowly turned his head to the side. He almost expected his mother sitting next to him. But it wasn't her. It took him a moment to remember that his mother had died almost two years ago. His father had took her place. He managed to give him a small smile before he slipped back into unconsciousness.

"He's going to live, right?" Summer looked hopefully at her father. "Dr. Norton said that if he wakes up within the next 24 hours, he would be okay."

"Yes, he's going to live." Pitt said, as relieved as his daughter. "I better let the doctor know that he woke up."

Summer only nodded shortly, then she turned all her attention back to her brother. "I knew you would pull through this. You're a fighter, just like Dad." She said in a shaky voice. She could already feel the tears well up in her eyes again, but this time they were tears of joy and relief. She gently stroked Dirk's face before she wiped away the tears that had started rolling down her face. Should he wake up again, she didn't want him to see her crying.

XXXXXXX

When Pitt stepped out into the corridor, he leant against the wall with closed eyes and took some deep breaths. He had come so close to losing his son. He was still trembling and he wasn't sure if his legs would carry him much longer. He was close to giving in to this for him unknown weakness when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He opened his eyes and saw his friend Al Giordino standing before him.

"How is he?" Al asked worried. Seeing his friend's pale appearance – something he wasn't used of Dirk Pitt, who never was afraid of anything – he feared the worst.

"He just woke up for a moment." Pitt said in a trembling voice. "God, Al, I could have lost him. I hardly had a chance to get to know him and ..."

"He's gonna pull through this. He's your son. And no son of yours is going to die from such a little poison attack." Al said in an attempt to lighten up his friend. Dirk had woken up. That was good news.

"Right." Pitt gave him a small smile. "I'm just not used to feeling so helpless."

"I know what you mean."

"Well, I better find that doctor and tell him Dirk woke up."

"Why don't you go back to your children and I look for the doctor?" Al offered. He could see that Pitt wanted to get back into that room as quickly as possible.

"Thanks." Pitt replied grateful.

XXXXXXX

After Dr. Norton had checked Dirk's vitals and had assured himself that he was able to breath on his own, the respirator was removed. A few hours later Dirk woke up again for a short while.

"Hi, welcome back to the living." Summer smiled at her brother. She was beaming with joy at seeing his green eyes open again.

"Hi." Dirk replied in a weak voice. He looked around confused. "What happened?"

Summer let out a deep breath before she answered. "You were poisoned."

"What?" Dirk choked. If possible, he looked even paler than before.

"I don't know much more. Al went back to the Sea Spirit to look into it. But apparently someone put some poison in your oxygen cylinder. You inhaled it when you joined me while I was in the sub and lost consciousness." She paused for a moment. "When I saw you and you weren't moving, I ... I thought you were dead."

Even though Dirk was shocked at what he was hearing, he tried not to show it. He could see that his sister was scared, so he squeezed her hand, trying to comfort her.

"I'm still alive." He gave her a small smile. He struggled to stay awake. He didn't want to fall asleep again, he wanted to talk to his sister. He needed to assure her that he was all right. But he felt so tried, he didn't think he could keep his eyes open much longer.

Summer noticed his struggle. "It's okay. Get some rest. You'll need it."

"You're staying here?" He asked, his voice barely audible anymore.

"I'm not going anywhere." Summer assured him.

Relieved Dirk closed his eyes and fell back asleep.

Tbc

**A.N.: Thanks so much for your reviews. I really appreciate them and they are very encouraging. :) I hope you like this chapter too. Thank you for reading. **


	3. Chapter 3

„Hey Pitt, this is Al." Pitt could hear his friends voice over the phone.

"Hi. Did you find anything?" He had asked Al to go back to the Sea spirit to check Dirk's diving equipment for any traces that might lead them to the person who had tried to kill his son. Al hadn't hesitated and had left immediately.

"Yeah, the whole cylinder is still full with the poison. But other than that, nothing. Whoever did that, knew how to hide his marks. There is one other thing though ..." He paused a moment.

"What is it?" Pitt asked impatiently.

"I checked your emails, like you asked. There was one mail ... It said: This was a warning, testify and he's dead." Al knew he didn't have to say more.

Pitt was quiet for a moment. He had already suspected that this attempt on Dirk's life was connected to his witness testimony next week. "Did you find out who send it?"

"Not yet. I informed NUMA for further investigation, but I don't think they'll find anything. Whoever planned this knew what he was doing."

"Okay, thanks Al. Keep me posted."

"I will. And Pitt, be careful, okay? Next time they might be more lucky."

"I'm not worried about myself, Al."

"I know. I'm just saying."

XXXXXXX

The next few days Dirk was more and more able to stay conscious for longer periods and he was slowly regaining his strength. Summer had been reluctant to leave his side, but she had eventually agreed to spend the nights in a nearby hotel. She made sure though to come back to the hospital first thing in the morning.

"Good, you're awake." She smiled at her brother when she stepped into his room. "I got you something."

"My release papers?" Dirk couldn't wait to get out of this hospital. He wasn't used to lying in bed all day and he was getting more restless with every passing hour.

"Come on, it's only been four days. See this as a vacation. You can relax, you don't have to work and there are lots of nice nurses taking care of you." Summer tried to cheer him up.

"I am more than relaxed and I want to work. And I haven't seen a single nurse under forty in this hospital." Dirk replied. "So, what did you get me?"

"Uh, so you are curious." Summer laughed. "Here, something more comfortable to wear. Al got it from the Sea Spirit when he returned last night. As cute as you look in that hospital gown, I thought you might like to wear some of your own clothes."

"Summer, you're the best. And tell that to Al too." Dirk beamed with joy at the aspect of wearing his own clothes again.

"You need any help?" Summer asked hesitantly when she saw Dirk slowly getting into a sitting position. He was still weak and it took him longer than expected to regain his strength.

"I think I can manage." Dirk groaned when he lifted his feet of the bed. He waited a moment for the world to stop spinning and to regain his breath, then he pulled of the hospital gown and got into his sweatshirt.

"Hm, it smells like the sea." He said smiling. Then he tried to get into this trousers. But when it was time to stand on his own feet – even if only for a short moment – Dirk looked hesitantly on the floor. He wasn't sure he was already able to stand on his own.

Summer saw his hesitation and tried to help him. "Put your arm around my shoulder. I hold you around your waist, this way you won't fall."

Dirk looked gratefully at his sister. "Thanks."

After a few minutes Dirk was lying back in bed, trying to catch his breath. "I never thought that getting dressed ... could be so exhausting."

"You still need time to get stronger. You almost died, your body needs time to recover from that." Inwardly Summer was worried that her brother was still so weak. After he had woken up, Dr. Norton had said that he would be able to leave the hospital in a few days. But in this weak condition, even thinking about a release was senseless.

XXXXXXX

"Mr. Pitt." Dr. Norton called when he saw his patient's father walking along the corridor.

Hearing someone calling for him, Pitt turned around and saw the doctor coming towards him. "Dr. Norton, hi. How is my son doing?"

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about." Dr. Norton said.

"Is something wrong?" The earnest expression on the man's face immediately alerted him.

Dr. Norton hesitated a moment before he spoke. "The poison your son was exposed to ... the antidote didn't kill it completely."

"What?" Horrified Pitt looked at Norton.

"There is still a slight trace of poison in your son's blood. It's different from the poison we treated him with. So far we haven't been able to identify it."

"What does that mean? Was he poisoned again?" Pitt stared at the doctor in disbelief.

"No, I think your son has been exposed to two different poisons at the same time. The first one worked very quickly, attacked his lungs and stopped his breathing. The second one works very slow, it spreads through the body without doing much damage in the beginning. It's similar to the other one, that's why we didn't see it at first. But it's slowly killing your son. That's why he's still so weak." It hurt Norton to give this news to Pitt. He could only imagine what the man in front of him was going through right now.

"How long?" Pitt whispered. He couldn't believe what was happening here. He had thought his son was going to live and now ...

"A couple of days, a week maybe, not longer."

Pitt only stared at the doctor, then nodded slowly. "Does he know yet?"

"No, I just found out myself."

"I'll tell him. And then I get the bastard who did this." Pitt said through clenched teeth. He already knew who was responsible for this.

XXXXXXX

Slowly Pitt stepped into the room. Neither Summer nor Dirk noticed him coming in and he listened to their talk for a few minutes. He didn't know how he was supposed to tell them. What should he say?

"The first thing I'll do when I get out of here is get something real to eat. A real steak with real potatoes and real sauce. This hospital food sucks." Dirk replied grinning.

"I promise to invite you to the nearest steak house when you get released." Summer laughed.

"I'll remind you of that. Hey Dad." Dirk had finally seen his father standing in the room.

"Hey." Pitt forced himself to smile as he stepped closer to the bed. "How are you feeling today?" He bit his lip. He was about to tell his son that he might be dead in a few days and he asked him how he was doing.

"Better, still weak, but definitely better." Dirk smiled at him. "Did the doc say when I can be released?"

"You can't even stand on your own two feet and you can't stop thinking about getting out of here." Summer chuckled.

"Well ..." Suddenly Dirk noticed his father's worried expression. "Dad, what's wrong? Did something happen?"

Surprised Summer turned around to her father. She hadn't noticed anything strange about him until now, but looking into his eyes she could see why Dirk had asked.

"Yes ..." Pitt stepped closer to the bed, until he stood right next to Summer. He put his hand on her shoulder to give her comfort for what she was about to hear.

"Dad, what's wrong?" Summer asked. His behavior was starting to scare her.

"Dirk, the poison ... there are traces of another poison in your blood. It's slower than the first one and very similar to it, that's why it wasn't noticed before."

"What?" Summer called out.

"Can't they just give me another antidote?" Confused Dirk looked at his father. He could feel that Summer had taken his hand and when he looked at her, all color had drained from her face. He wanted to tell her that she didn't need to worry, but he needed to hear his father's response first.

"They don't know the poison. There is no antidote."

Now it was Dirk's turn to pale – as he hadn't had much color in the first place, he now looked as white as the sheets he was lying on. "So I'm going to die?"

"No!" Summer choked out barely audible.

"No, I'm not going to let that happen. I think I know who did this to you. I will get the antidote, no matter at what cost."

"Who did this?" Summer demanded to know.

"I have to testify against Thomas Hatch, remember? He threatened me not to testify. I thought he was planning some kind of attack against me. I never imagined he would go against either of you." He looked apologetic at both Summer and Dirk.

"It's okay, Dad. You couldn't have known." Dirk said quietly.

"I'm going back to Washington. There is nothing I can do from here. Promise me that you will fight until I come back."

"I can't make such a promise, Dad. You know that."

"Promise me." Pitt looked intently at his son.

Dirk nodded slowly. "I promise."

Tbc

**A.N.: Thank you all so much for the reviews. :) I hope you like this chapter. Thank you for reading. **


	4. Chapter 4

„What are you going to do now?" Al asked quietly. He and Pitt had met in the cafeteria in the hospital and Pitt had just told his friend about the new development regarding his son.

"I'm going back to Washington. I'm going to get the antidote and Hatch is going to pay for what he did." Pitt replied determinedly.

"When are we leaving?"

"The next flight goes in three hours. But I'm going alone. I want you to stay here and watch over my children."

"Because that worked so well the last time?" Al said bitterly.

"Don't blame yourself, Al. You couldn't have known something like this would happen."

"I've been on the deck the whole time. Those damn cylinders have been standing practically right next to me and I didn't notice a thing." 

"There was no reason to mistrust anyone on that ship, so don't be too hard on yourself. I know you'll look out for them until I'm back." Pitt assured him. If there was anyone he would trust with the lives of his children, it was Al Giordino.

"You might not have to come back. I'll talk to NUMA. Maybe they can transfer Dirk to a hospital in Washington. This way we can protect them better and maybe they find an antidote so we won't need Hatch at all."

"I can't wait for that. I'm going to get it from Hatch, no matter at what cost."

XXXXXXX

Late at night Pitt arrived in Washington. He didn't bother going back to his apartment for fresh clothes or to get some sleep. He went right to Hatch's house. It wasn't difficult for him to go round the alarm system and within a few minutes he was inside the house. He could here voices coming from the living room and a female voice talking – probably Hatch's wife. He looked around and saw a light shining through a door a few feet away. Quietly he moved closer to the door. This could be Hatch's office. He took a deep breath and pulled out his loaded gun, then he opened the door.

"Caroline, I told you I don't want to be disturbed. I have some important papers to read through tonight." Hatch said without looking up.

With a grim smile, Pitt closed the door behind him. This was easier than he'd thought. 

"I'm sorry but I can't wait that long. I need to talk to you know." Pitt said quietly, the gun pointed at Hatch. 

Surprised Thomas Hatch looked up from the papers in front of him and stared at the gun pointed at him. Then his eyes wandered to the man holding the gun.

"Maybe you should have gotten an appointment, than I would have made sure to have time for you." Hatch replied, a sarcastic smile on his face.

"Let's not waste any more time. I want the antidote. Now!"

"I have no idea what you are talking about, Mr. …"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about." Pitt moved a few steps closer to Hatch until he stood directly in front of Hatch's desk. "You will give me the antidote or I'll put a bullet in your head."

"If you do that, then you'll never get what you want. I can't give you anything when I'm dead, can I?" Hatch chuckled. "Now, why don't we talk as two civilized people and you put that gun down. Whatever problem it is you have, I'm sure we can solve it together."

"Cut the games, Hatch. I want that antidote and you better give it to me. If my son dies, there is no place on earth for you to hide. Not even prison."

Hatch kept smiling and leant back in his chair. His attitude was unnerving for Pitt, but he tried not to show it. If he ever wanted to achieve anything with this man, he couldn't let him get to him. He was just about to say something else, when the door to the office flew open and two men in suits stormed in, their guns pointed at Pitt.

"I think it's time for you to leave now, Mr. Pitt." Hatch said smugly. "It was nice to make your acquaintance."

Slowly Pitt turned to him again. "This isn't over yet. You won't stop me from testifying against you. You will go to prison. And should my son die, you'll stay in prison until the day you die."

Then Pitt dropped his gun and put it back in his jacket. One of the men grabbed him by the arm and began pulling him out of the office. Angrily Pitt shook him off. "I know the way."

He slowly went to the front door. Hatch's guards followed him until he was back on the street.

XXXXXXX

Angrily Pitt sagged down on his couch. As there wasn't anything else for him to do tonight, he had returned to his apartment. He thought about calling Al or Summer, but they would both be asleep at this hour and he didn't want to wake them. Neither of them had gotten much sleep lately.

After a while his eyes fell on the beeping light of his answering machine. Sighing he got up and pushed the button to listen to his messages.

"Dirk, this is Al. I just spoke with Sandecker. Dirk will be transferred to Washington first thing in the morning. I already send them a sample of Dirk's blood by mail. They should get it in a few hours and Sandecker assured me that he would put his best men to work on it. Call me when you hear this. I want to know how it went with Hatch."

Pitt waited a moment before he listened to the second message. Dirk would be in Washington tomorrow. He wouldn't arrive here before noon, but it felt good knowing that he would be close. The trial was in two days and he wasn't ready to give up on getting the antidote from Hatch. Going to him directly had been stupid. He should have known he wouldn't achieve anything by that. Hatch was too clever. But there had to be a way to get the antidote.

Letting out a frustrated sigh, Pitt pressed the button to listen to the second message.

"Pitt, this is Sandecker. Giordino just called me. I'm sorry about what happened to your son. I want to assure you that we will do everything in our power to help him. I already put Hatch under surveillance. Wherever he goes, we'll know about it. And Pitt, don't do anything stupid. And call me when you hear this."

Pitt decided to wait until morning to call Sandecker. But he would call Al. After all, he had asked for it, so he could ignore the time. He just needed to know how his son was doing. Otherwise he would never get any sleep.

When he'd dialed Al's number, he didn't have to wait long for him to answer.

"Yes?"

"Hi, it's me. Did I wake you?"

"No, I wasn't sleeping. How did it go? Did you get it?" Al asked.

"No, that bastard wouldn't even acknowledge to know me. I gotta find another way. How is Dirk doing?"

Pitt didn't even have to hear Al's reply. The pause before he spoke told him all he needed to know. 

"His condition got worse. He's in a lot of pain, so they sedated him. He's asleep most of the time. He has trouble breathing again and gets extra oxygen to make it easier for him." Al stopped. It was hard to tell his friend all this. This was his son they were talking about. Al couldn't even begin to imagine how Pitt must feel right now.

Pitt swallowed before he asked his next question. "How is Summer?"

"So far she's doing okay. She's a lot stronger than she looks. Don't worry about her." Al assured him.

"She comes after her mother." Pitt said quietly. "Okay, thanks Al. Get some sleep. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Okay. And Pitt … don't do anything stupid."

"Why is everyone telling me that?"

Tbc


	5. Chapter 5

Quietly Pitt sat next to his son, holding his hand tightly. He would have to leave soon to testify at the trial against Hatch. For several hours now he had replayed his options in his head about what he should do. If he'd testify, he would never get the antidote. Hatch would be in prison, but his son would most likely be dead. Sandecker had told him to believe in Dirk's strength to fight this and in the capability of NUMA's scientists, who were still working on developing an antidote of their own. But Dirk didn't have much time anymore. For the last few hours, Pitt had watched him slowly fading away. He had only regained consciousness a few times and then only for a few minutes. And each time Pitt had seen in his eyes the pain his son was in.

His only other choice was to not testify. Then Hatch would give him the antidote and Dirk would live. If Hatch held onto his promise. He wasn't exactly the most trustworthy person in the world. And he would walk. The states attorney had made that clear – Pitt was their main witness. If he didn't testify, they wouldn't have enough proof to convict Hatch and he would be a free man.

Pitt took a deep breath and glanced at his watch. He was already running late. He would have to leave now if he wanted to make it to the trial in time. Suddenly he noticed a twitch in his hand. When he looked at his son's face, he saw his eyes open.

"Hey son." He said smiling. He didn't want Dirk to see his worry.

Dirk raised his hand to remove the oxygen mask from his mouth and nose. "Shouldn't you be at the trial?" He whispered in a weak voice.

"You shouldn't worry about that, Dirk. You only concentrate on getting better." Pitt replied, squeezing his hand.

"You have to go, Dad. I …" He paused and winced at an unseen pain. After taking a deep breath, he continued. "I don't want to be the reason he gets free."

"Dirk, you …"

"Promise me, Dad." Dirk needed all his strength to keep his eyes open, but he fought hard to stay awake. He wanted his father to testify against Hatch. He had never wanted to be a burden for his father and he wouldn't start now. He knew how much getting Hatch behind bars meant to his father … he didn't want to be responsible for him staying out of prison.

Pitt stared at his son for a long moment. He didn't know what to do. Dirk had never asked for anything since they had met. This was the first time … and he had practically asked him to rather watch him die than let a guilty man walk free. But how was he supposed to give such a promise?

"Please, Dad. Promise ..." Dirk tried to take another breath, but had trouble breathing. Pitt saw his son's struggle and quickly placed the oxygen mask back over his face.

"Take some deep breaths. Okay … better?" Worried Pitt looked at his son.

Dirk only nodded. He didn't think he was strong enough to talk anymore. Pleadingly he looked at his father.

Slowly Pitt nodded. He couldn't watch his son die, but he couldn't deny him this plea either. He had to believe that NUMA would find the antidote in time. "I'll testify. But you promise me that you fight this, all right? Don't let me regret this."

Dirk gave him a small smile, then he closed his eyes again and Pitt could feel his son's grasp of his hand loosen. He had slipped back into unconsciousness.

XXXXXXX

Determinedly Al Giordino stood in front of Thomas Hatch's house. For the last two days he had watched his friend do everything in his power to safe his son. The last time he had spoken to him it had looked like Pitt was close to give up. But that couldn't be. Dirk Pitt never gave up. And he would make sure that would never happen.

He checked for his gun again, then he began walking toward the house with quick steps. He didn't bother to sneak into the house; he simply burst through the front door and walked straight to Hatch's office. When he saw Hatch sitting behind his desk, he quickly closed the door behind him and put a chair in front of it, right under the knob. This way it would take his security men at least a few minutes longer to get into the room. And a few minutes was all he needed.

"What do you want? Who are you?" Hatch asked. He tried to hide the worry from his voice. The man in front of him looked angry, very angry. And he held a gun straight to his face.

"I want the antidote and you are going to give it to me." Al said calmly.

Hatch let out a small chuckle. "This is getting old. I already had this visit from your friend. And I can only tell you what I told him: I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about."

"You might have gotten away with this when Pitt was here. But the difference between me and my friend is that I've got nothing to lose." With a grim smile, Al pulled the trigger and shot Hatch in the arm.

"Argh, shit, are you crazy?" Hatch yelled, holding his arm tightly.

"You're gonna give me the antidote now or do I have to prove to you how serious I am?" Al smirked. "There are a lot more bullets in this gun."

Furiously Hatch glared at him. He wanted to give him a smug remark, but at the same time he knew he had lost. He was sure this man wouldn't hesitate to shoot him until he was bleeding to death. He closed his eyes for a second, then he pushed a button under his desk. On a wall on his right, a picture sprung to the side, revealing a safe behind it.

Satisfied Al motioned Hatch to open the safe. He never took down his gun down while Hatch opened the safe and took out a small vial.

"This is it." Hatch said through clenched teeth. He put the vial down on a nearby table and returned to a desk. He refused to look at the other man again. He didn't want to see the satisfaction on his face. Pitt and his friend might have won this round, but it wasn't over. Even from the prison, he would get his revenge.

Al didn't hesitate a second. He grabbed the vial and walked out of the office.

XXXXXXX

Slowly Pitt walked up the stairs to the court building. Again and again the image of his son flashed through his mind. He hadn't regained consciousness again before he'd have to leave. With every breath he had taken, he had felt his son slipping away. He got weaker with every passing minute. Pitt knew that his son didn't have much more time. If he would turn around now, he would get the antidote within the next hour. An anonymous caller had assured him this shortly after he had left the hospital. And if he'd testify, it could take days before NUMA's scientists developed an antidote of their own and he knew in his heart that Dirk didn't have that much time left.

Letting out a frustrated breath, Pitt stopped walking up the stairs. He couldn't do it. He couldn't risk his son's life just to get Thomas Hatch in prison. Despite the promise he had given Dirk, despite the principles he had lived by his whole life, he couldn't go on with this. He closed his eyes for a second and took a deep breath. Then he turned around and walked down the stairs again, determined to get back to the hospital and wait for Hatch to keep to his word and deliver the antidote. He could hear someone calling his name from above ... probably Gordon Mitchell, the states attorney. He didn't care. It wasn't that he didn't care about getting the bad guy into prison, he just didn't care about it as much as he cared for his children. Keeping them safe was the most important thing in his life now. For the first time he realized what it really meant to be a part of a family. The feeling was overwhelming and comforting and scary at the same time. But if letting Hatch walk meant to keep his family safe, then that's what he was going to do.

When his phone rang, he stopped in his tracks. For a second he thought about not even checking who it was. The most likely one to call him right now was the States Attorney, asking why the hell he wasn't in the court building right now. Or it was the hospital, telling him that his son ... He shook his head. He couldn't continue this thought, not even in his mind. Taking another deep breath, he picked up his phone. "Yes?"

"Finally. Pitt, I got the antidote. Don't ask me how, you don't want to know. But I got it and I'm almost at the hospital."

Stunned Pitt listened to his friend's words. "Al, what ... how?"

"Go testify, Pitt. I take care of your son."

When Al had ended the phone call, Pitt stood for a moment on the stairs, trying to comprehend what his friend had just told him. He had the antidote. Dirk would live. And he could testify and get Hatch into prison. With a determined smile, Pitt turned around and walked up the stairs again, meeting a very surprised looking District Attorney waiting for him.

"What was that about?" Gordon Mitchell asked.

"Nothing. So, when do I get to testify?"

XXXXXXX

The day Thomas Hatch got sentenced to 15 years in prison, Dirk got released from hospital. He was still a bit shaky, but all traces of the poison had left his body and he was regaining his strength quickly. As she had promised him, Summer took him out to the nearest restaurant for a real meal. Al had already returned to the Sea Spirit to finish the tests for his new submarine and Dirk Pitt sen. had gotten his first week of vacation in years. And he was intend to spend every day of it with his family.

The end.

**A.N.: Thank you all for your kind reviews. They have been very encouraging and helpful. I was always very nervous about posting a new chapter and your comments made this a lot easier. I hope you like this last chapter. Thank you very much for reading. **


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